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Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
First Lesson
Isaiah 61
1
The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath
anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent
me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of
vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;
3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them
beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of
praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called
trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might
be glorified.
4 And they shall build the old wastes, they shall raise up the
former desolations, and they shall repair the waste cities, the
desolations of many generations.
5 And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the sons
of the alien shall be your plowmen and your vinedressers.
6 But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call
you the Ministers of our God: ye shall eat the riches of the
Gentiles, and in their glory shall ye boast yourselves.
7 For your shame ye shall have double; and for confusion they
shall rejoice in their portion: therefore in their land they
shall possess the double: everlasting joy shall be unto them.
8 For I the LORD love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering;
and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting
covenant with them.
9 And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their
offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge
them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed.
10 I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful
in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom
decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself
with her jewels.
11 For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden
causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the
Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth
before all the nations.
1st Lesson Questions:
Isaiah 61. Is there any way in which the spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me? (V. 1) How so? What am I doing with that gift in my life? Is this portion of scripture really about Jesus? RESOLVE.
Second Lesson
Luke 4:16-32
16 And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and,
as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath
day, and stood up for to read.
17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias.
And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it
was written,
18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed
me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal
the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that
are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister,
and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue
were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture
fulfilled in your ears.
22 And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words
which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this
Joseph's son?
23 And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb,
Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum,
do also here in thy country.
24 And he said, Verily, I say unto you, No prophet is accepted
in his own country.
25 But
I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days
of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months,
when great famine was throughout all the land;
26 But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a
city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.
27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the
prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.
28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things,
were filled with wrath,
29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto
the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they
might cast him down headlong.
30 But he passing through the midst of them went his way,
31 And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught
them on the sabbath days.
32 And
they were astonished at his doctrine: for his word was with power.
2nd Lesson Questions:
Luke 4:16-32. In verses 25-27 Jesus says that at times Israel didn't have God's help while foreigners did. Is it true today that, at times, Christians don't have God's help but so-called outsiders do? Why? What does it mean, that "his word was with power?" (V. 32) RESOLVE.